In Salt burn, Barry Keoghan stars as Oliver Quick, a student trying to find his place at Oxford University. When he falls into the world of charming aristocrat Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), he's invited to the sprawling estate that gives the film its name, and things (and bathrooms) will never be the same again.
The film's 71% Rotten Tomatoes rating indicates just how divisive the movie was when it was released last year — people tend to either love it or hate it, without much room for difference. But if you're in the mood for something a little different that's as bold as it is entertaining, this best movie on Prime Video is worth checking out.
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What did critics say about Saltburn?
“This Brideshead soup needs more seasoning,” said The Guardian: “the script could have used another late night in the library.” The film is highly entertaining, but “at times feels oddly overwrought and bombastic.” Empire agrees, arguing that the film is “a satirical thriller that leaves you holding your breath and rolling your eyes in equal measure… It fails to land, but the ride just before the nosedive is genuinely enjoyable.”
The Skinny acknowledged its flaws, but had a great time: “It may be a little original, but the plot is a salad of ideas drawn from Evelyn Waugh, Patricia Highsmith and Pasolini. You won't be bored for a second.” And for MovieReelist: “This is a third date movie, one where you get comfortable watching other people touch each other with their genitals.”
Although many critics found the film uneven, their praise for Barry Keoghan was virtually universal. The Observer spoke for many when it said that “the potency of Barry Keoghan's performance in the centre of the ring cannot be overrated.” The Wall Street Journal was also impressed. “Mr Keoghan has an uncanny ability to seem cunning and wicked even in repose, and his performance is the key to the film,” it said. MovieCrypt.com agreed: “Barry Keoghan is the star of this film, and he knows it very well… Well-acted, devilish and decadent, there is an underlying sense that this is more of a dark fairy tale than something that takes itself too seriously.”
